Target.



Patented June 28 19M.

F. m. c. VTIPIL.

TARGET.

(Application filed Man 15, 1900) (No Model.)

TNE Nonmsyn'zns co, mom-v40 wasumswu o c when the target is ready to be shot at.

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FRANK M. C. VTIPIL, OF MILWVAUKEE, XVISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JOHN ZAHORIK, OF SAME PLACE.

TARG ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,805, dated June 18, 1901.

Application filed March 15,1900. Serial No. 8,745. (No model.)

To (JI/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FRANK M. O. VTIPIL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of "Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Targets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has especial reference to that class of targets which are organized to exhibit a visual signal whenever the bulls-eye is made; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as will be fully set forth hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a Vertical sectional View of my improved target, taken on the line 1 1 of Fig.2 and showing the visual signal in the position in which it is placed Fi 2 represents a front elevation of my said ta get with the signal in the position which it assumes when a bulls-eye has been made. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the target proper, consisting of a plate of wood or other suitable material, preferably flat at its base and with a generally-rounded upper surface, save that it has a horizontal flat-portion a atthe top for the support of the signal I), as hereinafter explained, and which bears upon its face or front side the usual series of concentric rings common to all targets employed in archery or in shootinggalleries and the like, save that in this case the place usually occupied by the so-called bulls-eye at the common center of said concentric rings is entirely out out, as shown by the round hole marked 0. The signal B may be of any shape desired; but it is preferably formed with a horizontal fiat base portion I), so as to rest squarely on the flat top portion a of the target A when the signal B has been exposed by a bulls-eye shot. The said signal is secured to the target by springs D D in any suitable manner, which springs (herein represented as elastic strips) are shown as located in vertical grooves or channels formed in the signal and target and in line with each other. The said springs may be secured in any suitable way, that shown in the drawings comprising a back piece E, secured to the upper part of the target A and held thereto against the lower ends of said spring-strips D D by pins or screws 6 9, while the upper ends of said spring-strips are secured within the groovesf of the signal B by plugs F; but the precise form of springs or nature of the attachment is immaterial, as it is obvious that spiral springs, for example, could be used in place of the elastic strips shown or even fiat leaf-springs secured to the back of the target and bearing against the back of the signal; but this is so obvious that I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the same in the drawings. H

G represents a spring-plate of sheet metal, whose lower end is secured, as by screws 9 g, to the target A, below and in line with the bulls-eye opening 0 therein, and whose free upper portion flares outwardly back from the point of attachment to the target, whereby when the signal B is bentbackward and downward its extreme end may be held against the upper inner edge of the spring-plate G, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby forcing said springplate still farther away from the target A and. putting said spring-plate G and springs D D under tension. Hence it is obvious that should any shot, ball, arrow, or other projectile pass through the bulls-eye opening 0 in the target it will strike against the spring plate G, and thus free the upper end of the latter from contact with the free end of the signal B, when the springsD D will instantly draw said signal into the position shown in Fig. 2, and thus indicate that a bulls-eye has been made.

The preferred supports of my target com prise hinged feet H 11, each formed of a single strip of spring-wire bent so as to have a V61 tical part It secured to the back of the target A by staples ij, the lower end of the part h being bent horizontally and doubled back, as shown at m n, the inner end of the part it being thence bent upwardly in line with the part h, as indicated at o, and thence bent outwardly, above and in line with the part a, as indicated at 19. It will thus be seen that the feet II 11 may be turned outwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, and the target supported thereby on any plane surface, or, if desired, the target may be held between the upper parts 1) and the lower parts m n of said feet by a suitable board, shelf, or other structure, crowded between said parts, whose spring action Will thus firmly secure the said feet to said board or other structure, and when the target is to be stored or shipped the said feet H H are turned toward each other, flat against the back of the target A, and thus space is economized.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A target, comprising a plate having an opening entirely therethrough; a spring-plate secured to the back of the target-plate, below and in line with said opening, and havingits free end projecting upwardly above the plane of the same; and a visual signal connected by springs to the upper part of the targetplate, and adapted to be bent back and held by contact with the said spring-plate, and to be released from said contact by the impact of a projectile passing through the said opening and striking said spring-plate, and to be restored by its springs to a visible position above said target.

2. A target-plate having an opening entirely therethrough, in combination with a spring-plate extending back of and in line with said opening, and a visual swing-signal in spring-controlled connection with the upper end of the target-plate to be normally held between the same and the spring-plate and released by a projectile passing through the target-plate opening to impact against said spring-plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of, Wisconsin, in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK M. o. VTIPIL.

Vitnesses:

II. G. UNDERWooD, JOHN ZAHORIK. 

